Follow-Up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference

30 September - 1 October 2026

Brussels

Days

Hours

Minutes

Reinforcing Democratic Institutions and Election Observation

(conference overview)

In a rapidly evolving electoral landscape, FURIC 2026 will bring together election experts, observers, representatives from international institutions and national authorities and political stakeholders to address the complex interplay between technology, democracy, and electoral integrity.

This year’s focus is on the impact of digital transformation on elections and the need for innovative observation methods to address challenges like disinformation, fake observation, digital and illicit campaign financing and cybersecurity.

(key discussions)

Safeguarding democratic institutions: Advocating for reinforced procedures and regulations that support domestic election observation, prevent fake observers and malign actors from infiltrating national elections
Rethinking political finance oversight: Examining how election influence has shifted beyond formal campaign periods through third-party actors, AI, cryptocurrencies, and coordinated online networks, while identifying new regulatory and institutional responses to safeguard electoral integrity.
Advancing election observation follow-up: Developing methodologies, implementation frameworks, and cross-sector partnerships that help transform election observation recommendations into meaningful electoral reform.

Protecting election observation in shrinking civic space: Sharing legal strategies, institutional responses, and peer experiences that strengthen the resilience of citizen election observers facing increasing political, legal, and administrative pressure.
Harnessing technology for democratic resilience: Showcasing innovative digital tools, AI-assisted analysis, OSINT, and data-driven monitoring that improve implementation tracking, evidence gathering, and responses to emerging threats to electoral integrity.

(partners and supporters)

FURIC 2025 is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

FURIC 2025 is organised in cooperation with European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR).

About registration

Please note that, due to limited capacity, completing the registration does not guarantee attendance. You will receive an official confirmation and further information about the event.

Rest assured, we are working hard to make it possible for as many participants as possible to attend the conference. A live-stream will also be available on both days in case physical attendance isn’t possible.

Preliminary Agenda

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1: 30 Sept 2025

HIGH LEVEL EVENT

Brussels

Opening remarks

14:00 – 14:15

SAFEGUARDING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND THOSE WHO DEFEND THEM: A EUROPE-WIDE CHALLENGE

Nacho Sánchez Amor, MEP, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG)
Stefanie Schiffer, Chair of Board, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

First SEssion

14:15 – 15:45

HYBRID THREATS TO ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY: LESSONS FOR EUROPE FROM THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AND BEYOND

Recent elections in Europe have become testing grounds for a coordinated set of hybrid tactics targeting both elections and actors providing electoral support. The discussion will address such tactics, ranging from equating international electoral assistance with foreign interference, coupled with parallel efforts to discredit legitimate election monitoring through politically biased election “observation,” to converging digital threats, including AI-aided information manipulation and opaque campaign financing. Panelists will draw out lessons for an effective response from the EU, states and civil society, for strengthening electoral transparency, accountability, and coordinated safeguards.

Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement [tbc]
Dana Munteanu, Secretary of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Republic of Moldova
Michael Gahler, MEP, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group
Vardine Grigoryan, Program Manager, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor (HCAV) Armenia

Moderator: Josef Lentsch, Founder and CEO, Partisan & Political Tech Summit

Commentator: Nacho Sánchez Amor, MEP, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group

SeCOND SEssion

16:15 – 17:45

BUILDING A MORE RESILIENT ELECTION OBSERVATION ECOSYSTEM THROUGH REGULATORY SAFEGUARDS AND COORDINATED SUPPORT

This session addresses the dual challenge of shrinking civil space faced by election observers in a growing number of countries and the often lacking legal procedures and regulations needed to safeguard election observation and prevent fake observers and malign actors from infiltrating national elections. Participants will discuss how to increase the resilience of citizen election observers facing increasing political, legal, and administrative pressure while showcasing the gaps in regulations needed to support domestic election observation across Europe.

Nathalie Loiseau, MEP, Head of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield [tbc]
Marie-Helene Boulanger, Acting Director Directorate-General Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection (JUST)
Stefanie Schiffer, Chair of Board, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Pablo Hispán, Chairperson of the Council for Democratic Elections, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) [tbc]

Moderator: Alexander Shlyk, Independent Elections Expert
Commentator: Rasto Kuzel, Executive Director, MEMO98

Wrapping up and Bridging to Day 2

17:45 – 18:00

Closing remarks

Pat Merloe, Former Head of electoral programs at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Member of the EPDE Advisory Council

Reception

18:00 – 20:00

Reception

Pat Merloe, Former Head of electoral programs at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Member of the EPDE Advisory Council

Day 2: 1 October 2026

Plenaries and Parallel Sessions

Brussels

Plenary Session

09:30 – 10:45

BEST PRACTICES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TRANSPARENCY OF POLITICAL FINANCE

N.N., AfeONet / EHORN (tbc)
Ulvi Akhundlu, Deputy Head, Election Department, OSCE/ODIHR [tbc]
Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle, MEP, Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Nicolae Panfil, Program Director, Promo-LEX Association

Moderator: Jorge Valladares, Political Integrity Policy Lead, Transparency International

Plenary

10:45 – 11:00

Introduction to Breakout Sessions

Jorge Valladares, Political Integrity Policy Lead, Transparency International
Ulvi Akhundlu, Deputy Head, Election Department, OSCE/ODIHR [tbc]
Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle, MEP, Member of t he Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Nicolae Panfil, Program Director, Promo-LEX Association

Moderator:

Breakout Sessions

11:00 – 12:00

Breakout Session A: RETHINKING POLITICAL FINANCE OVERSIGHT

Hosted by Transparency International

Examining how election influence has shifted beyond formal campaign periods through third-party actors, AI, cryptocurrencies, and coordinated online networks, while identifying new regulatory and institutional responses to safeguard electoral integrity.

Breakout Session B: HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY FOR DEMOCRATIC RESILIENCE

Hosted by EPDE

Showcasing innovative digital tools, AI-assisted analysis, OSINT, and data-driven monitoring that improve implementation tracking, evidence gathering, and responses to emerging threats to electoral integrity.

[Name, Title], OPORA, Ukraine
[Name, Title] CRTA, Serbia
[Name, Title, Organisation] Stateless or another tech/tech-based project
Moderator: [Name, Title, Organisation] Tetyana

Breakout Session C: FROM RECOMMENDATION TO REFORM: WHAT ACTUALLY MOVES THE NEEDLE

Hosted by Political Accountability Foundation

Election observation missions produce recommendations by the hundreds. Most quietly gather dust. Drawing on DIVE 2.2 research across select EU member states, this session digs into why some electoral reform recommendations get implemented while others vanish into legislative limbo.

Intro: Robert Lech, Election Observation Expert, Political Accountability Foundation

Speakers:

Rasto Kuzel, Executive Director, MEMO98
Desislava Hristova, Election Observation Expert, Bulgaria (tbc and tbc with which affiliation)
Ulvi Akhundlu, Deputy Head of the Election Department, OSCE/ODIHR (tbc)

Moderator: Zofia Lutkiewicz, President, Political Accountability Foundation

Breakout Session D: Information Verification and Analysis: Individuals, Elections and Online Sources

Hosted by Civic Resilience Initiative

This session will explore how artificial intelligence and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools are transforming the way election observers detect and counter election misinformation. How can these tools be applied effectively to social media analysis while addressing ethical challenges such as AI bias and data integrity? What lessons have election experts learned from using OSINT in recent elections? And what role can collaboration between journalists, NGOs, and tech experts play in advancing future trends with the greatest potential to strengthen election integrity?

Lukas Andriukaitis, Co-Founder, Civic Resilience Initiative
Francesca Boggeri, Social Media Coordinator, Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS)
Linas Skirius, Co-founder, Civic Resilience Initiative
Hyrije Mehmeti, Researcher and Editor, Action for Democratic Society (ADS) / Hibrid.info

Breakout Sessions

12:30 – 13:30

Breakout Session D: ENSURING ADOPTION OF HUMAN-RIGHTS COMPLIANT TECHNOLOGIES IN ELECTIONS

Privacy International and the UNHCR

This session will explore how technology can enhance election observation and civic engagement in an era of rapid digital change. Participants will discuss innovative tools and inclusive approaches that empower both professional observers and citizens to monitor electoral processes, counter disinformation, and increase transparency.

Aisha Dabo, Programmes Coordinator, AfricTivistes
Lukasz Widla-Domaradzki, Data Scientist, Political Accountability Foundation
Daniel Richardson, Senior Program Associate, The Carter Center
Sarah Bireete, Chairperson, East and Horn of African Election Observation Network (EHORN) (moderator)

Breakout Session E: PROTECTING ELECTION OBSERVATION IN SHRINKING CIVIC SPACE

Hosted by AfEONet

Sharing legal strategies, institutional responses, and peer experiences that strengthen the resilience of citizen election observers facing increasing political, legal, and administrative pressure.

Moderator: Holly Ruthrauff

Breakout Session F: Working with EMBs and strengthening institutions

Hosted by International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Electoral actors – including EMBs, political parties and contestants, and third party vendors – collect, digitize, process, use and store large and complex amounts of personal data. Personal data is increasingly a political commodity, and can be bought, sold, traded, and – in some cases – stolen, to contest elections and at times to gain unfair competitive advantage. This interactive session will explore the role that citizen election observers can play in identifying electoral vulnerabilities related to data protection (and misuse), and developing recommendations that promote the rights of voters, and transparency and accountability in campaigning and election administration. The conversation will cover monitoring methodologies related to data protection and electoral integrity, discuss experiences from around the world, and provide guidance on understanding and discerning intertwining challenges of transparency, political competitiveness, election administration efficacy and data privacy.

Tetyana Bohdanova, Independent Consultant
Carsten Schürmann, Professor, DemTech Group and IT University of Copenhagen
Julia Brothers, Deputy Director, Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Breakout Session H: Enhancing Transparency from Political Advertisers and Technology Platforms

Hosted by The Carter Center

This session will explore the evolving responsibilities of AI developers, political advertisers, and Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) in electoral contexts. It will examine ways to improve transparency through disclosures on AI use, ad funding, and targeting practices, as well as the possible development of robust, searchable ad libraries to facilitate public scrutiny and oversight.

Lunch

13:30 – 15:00

Network lunch

Holly Ruthrauff, Team Leader, Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS)
Adam Busuleanu, Team Lead, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

Plenary

15:00 – 16:15

Reflections from Parallel Sessions

Facilitated reporting from session hosts and open discussion

Moderator: Tetyana Bohdanova, Senior Election Expert, Team Lead Network and Training, EPDE

Plenary Session

16:30 – 18:00

COLLABORATION BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS AND CITIZEN OBSERVERS IN REAL TIME: BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ZAMBIAN 2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS

—

Michael McNamara, MEP, Chief Observer of the EU EOM Zambia
Peter Mwanang’ombe, Program Director, Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), Zambia
Josiah Kalala, Executive Director, Chapter One Foundation, Zambia
Richard Klein, Director for Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Moderator: Dr. Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz, Senior Election Expert, Member of the EPDE Advisory Council

Plenary

18:00 – 18:15

Closing remarks

—

Zofia Lutkiewicz, President, Political Accountability Foundation, EPDE Board Member (tbc)

Post-Conference

18:30 – 20:30

After work Networking

—

Michael McNamara, MEP, Chief Observer of the EU EOM Zambia
Peter Mwanang’ombe, Program Director, Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), Zambia
Josiah Kalala, Executive Director, Chapter One Foundation, Zambia
Richard Klein, Director for Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Moderator: Dr. Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz, Senior Election Expert, Member of the EPDE Advisory Council

Supported by

The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the opinion of donors or partners.